Ahead of assembly polls in UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, ‘concerned’ BJP to analyse results, contemplate action

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 3

Concerned over the election results from North, or the Hindi heartland, the BJP-led Centre appears to be contemplating actions to blunt people’s anger over issues, including rising prices of essential commodities and fuel costs. 

While BJP leaders are attributing setbacks in Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan to “issues related to ticket distribution, internal sabotage and infighting in local units”, observers say farmers’ agitation and prices may affect saffron prospects in polls early next year, especially in the north.

Himachal results are an additional worry because it is also the home state of party president JP Nadda. Observers say the results from the hill state reflected farmers’ anger, the apple growers protesting against the plummeting price of the fruit in the wholesale markets.

Central leaders say on Wednesday’s results will have no bearing on assembly elections early next year and that Himachal results, in particular, are a “reflection on Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur” a year before the state polls. However, this is not good news for the BJP ahead of elections to five states three of which are in North and agrarian in nature—Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab.

Amid the growing buzz that “Himachal Pradesh may follow the pattern of change seen in Uttarakhand a couple of months back”, sources say the central leaders “will hold discussions (on what went wrong)”.

“The results have just come. Discussions and analysis of results are an essential part of the BJP’s functioning,” they say.

Incidentally, apart from Himachal, West Bengal too came as a major embarrassment for the BJP which lost two seats it won in recent elections to TMC.  The Congress, meanwhile, claimed that the results of by-elections held to various state Assembly and Parliament seats are a “clear indication” that the “BJP is losing its momentum especially in Hindi heartland” due to its “anti-people policies”.